Information for record number MWA8221:
Iron Age settlement, Coton Park, Churchover

Summary The site of a settlement Iron Age date. The remains of circular structures and enclosure ditches were found during an excavation. Fragments of pottery and animal bone were amongst the finds. The site was located 500m north east of Brownsover.
What Is It?  
Type: Settlement
Period: Middle Iron Age - Late Iron Age (300 BC - 42 AD)
Where Is It?  
Parish: Churchover
District: Rugby, Warwickshire
Grid Reference: SP 51 77
(Data represented on this map shows the current selected record as a single point, this is for illustrative purposes only and does not represent an accurate or complete representation of archaeological sites or features)
Level of Protection National - Old SMR PrefRef (Grade: )
Sites & Monuments Record
Description

  
Source Number  

1 An archaeological evaluation of Field 13, Coton Park, Churchover (MWA 8324), recovered evidence of significant later Prehistoric open settlement in the form of circular structures and enclosure ditches over most of the Field. Large quantities of pottery, moderately large quantities of animal bone and some iron objects were recovered.
2 The settlement was dominated by the circular ditches that had enclosed former roundhouses, although only in a few instances had any traces of walls or doorposts survived. A total of 25 house sites were identified. Some overlapped, indicating that there had been two or three successive houses on the same plot, and others had small, sub-square enclosures lying adjacent to them. Together they formed an open settlement set within a system of large-scale land boundaries, as represented by a major linear ditch running west-east across the whole site.
3 In general, the pottery from the site corresponds in its range of forms and decorative techniques with pottery recovered from Park Farm, Barford and from Breedon-on-the-Hill. Most of the pottery would seem to be of local manufacture.
4Geophysical survey of the site was carried out in 1997, showing ditches and enclosures representing multiple phases of activity.
 
Sources
Source No: 2
Source Type: Archaeological Report
Title: Excavation of an Iron Age Settlement at Coton Park, Rugby, Warwickshire: Assessment Report and Updated Research Design
Author/originator: A Chapman
Date: 1998
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 2
Source Type: Excavation Report
Title: Excavation of an Iron Age Settlement at Coton Park, Rugby, Warwickshire 1998 Interim Report
Author/originator: A Chapman
Date: 1998
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 3
Source Type: Evaluation Report
Title: Archaeological Evaluation at Field 13, Coton Park: Pottery Assessment Report
Author/originator: S Ratkai
Date: 1997
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 1
Source Type: Evaluation Report
Title: Archaeological Evaluation at Field 13, Coton Park, Churchover
Author/originator: C Coutts and C Jones
Date: 1997
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 4
Source Type: Geophysical Survey Report
Title: Coton Park II, Rugby: Report on Geophysical Survey
Author/originator: D Shiel
Date: 1997
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Images:  
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Glossary

 
Word or Phrase
Description  
technique Geophysical Survey The measuring and recording of electrical resistivity or magnetism in order to determine the existence and outline of buried features such as walls and ditches. Geophysical techniques include resistivity survey, magnetometer survey and ground penetrating radar. View Image back
technique excavation Archaeologists excavate sites so that they can find information and recover archaeological materials before they are destroyed by erosion, construction or changes in land-use.

Depending on how complicated and widespread the archaeological deposits are, excavation can be done by hand or with heavy machinery. Archaeologists may excavate a site in a number of ways; either by open area excavation, by digging a test pit or a trial trench.
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period Prehistoric About 500,000 BC to 42 AD

The Prehistoric period covers all the periods from the Palaeolithic to the end of the Iron Age.
This is a time when people did not write anything down so there is no documentary evidence for archaeologists to look at. Instead, the archaeologists look at the material culture belonging to the people and the places where they lived for clues about their way of life.

The Prehistoric period is divided into the Early Prehistoric and Later Prehistoric.
The Early Prehistoric period covers the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic periods.
The Later Prehistoric period covers Neolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age times.
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period Iron Age About 800 BC to 43 AD

The Iron Age comes after the Bronze Age and before the Roman period. It is a time when people developed the skills and knowledge to work and use iron, hence the name ‘Iron Age’ which is given to this period. Iron is a much tougher and more durable metal than bronze but it also requires more skill to make objects from it. People continued to use bronze during this period.
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monument HOUSE * A building for human habitation, especially a dwelling place. Use more specific type where known. back
monument SITE * Unclassifiable site with minimal information. Specify site type wherever possible. back
monument SETTLEMENT * A small concentration of dwellings. back
monument PARK * An enclosed piece of land, generally large in area, used for hunting, the cultivation of trees, for grazing sheep and cattle or visual enjoyment. Use more specific type where known. back
monument SQUARE ENCLOSURE * A square shaped area of land enclosed by a boundary ditch, bank, wall, palisade or similar barrier. Small square enclosures (with sides of less than c.20m) have been interpreted as the remains of square barrows of Iron Age date. back
monument FIELD * An area of land, often enclosed, used for cultivation or the grazing of livestock. back
monument ENCLOSURE * An area of land enclosed by a boundary ditch, bank, wall, palisade or other similar barrier. Use specific type where known. back
monument DITCH * A long and narrow hollow or trench dug in the ground, often used to carry water though it may be dry for much of the year. back
monument STRUCTURE * A construction of unknown function, either extant or implied by archaeological evidence. If known, use more specific type. back
monument FARM * A tract of land, often including a farmhouse and ancillary buildings, used for the purpose of cultivation and the rearing of livestock, etc. Use more specific type where known. back
monument WALL * An enclosing structure composed of bricks, stones or similar materials, laid in courses. Use specific type where known. back

* Copyright of English Heritage (1999)

English Heritage National Monuments Record